Piano-playing mechanism.



B. R. VAN VALKENBURG. PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1912.

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PIANO PLAYING MEGHANISMI APPLICATION PILED -I-AN. a, 1912.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

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PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM. I APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 3, 1912.-

. Patented Sept. 30,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT or1 1oE. l

BURT B. VAN VALKENBURG, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO-PLAYING- MECHANISM.

Application filed January 3, 1912. Serial No. 669,240.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented septljeo, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, BURT R. VAN VAL- KENBURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Piano-Playing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player pianos of the type wherein a roll of perforated paper but a single set of neumatics and hammer mechanisms will be necessary, the" pneumatics being controlled at will from either of the rolls.

A third object of the invention is to provide separate mechanisms for controlling the speed of operation by either of the winding devices at will.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide. separate braking means for the wind iug rolls of the two mechanisms, said braking means being automatically arranged to switch from one to the other of the roll winding mechanisms in inverse order of actuation. That is to say, when one of the roll winding mechanisms is in use the other mechanism will be acted upon by the braking device.

Wit-h the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of arts, as will be hereinafter fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawi g and specifically claimed. r v

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and ;Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section of a player p1ano showing the mechanism forming. theinvention installed therein. Fig. 2- is a transverse section through suclia iano. Fig. 3 is a plan view-of a portion of t e device on the line 3'3, Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a plan viewofa. certain valve arrangement used in connece tion herewith. Fig. 5 is"; section onthe line -ing roll there is a I with a pinion 25 carried on a short shaft 26 55, Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a section 'thro ugh a certam tempo controlbox. Fig. ;7 is a section on the line 7-7, Fig. -6. Fig; 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig.-1.' Fig.9 is a horizontal section showin a certain'lever arrangement,the section be ng taken below the keys of a p1ano.- Fig. 10 is a section showing a finger control va1ve.-:Fig..11 is a detail section showing a certain *cl'utch used herewith.

The piano constructed in accordancewvith I this invention is provided with theiusual. casing 10 wherein is mounted the piano'flact on indicated in general at 11 and-thisace' t1on fnay be controlled manually from keys 12 or may be operated by means of bellows 13 arranged in the usual manneralongthe vacuum trunk 14 in which vacuum is maintained by means of a vacuum be llows or pump, not shown.

Turning now to the device which forms the special and essential part of this invention there is disclosed in the front ofthe instrument a double casing 15 which is sepa.

rated by a partition 16 into upper and lower compartments 17 and 18, respectively.-' In,

each of the compartments l7 and 18 there is provided a roll receiving mechanism ar ranged to receive the journals 19 of the usual music roll 20. Included in each of the'roll receiving mechanisms is a shaft 21 having at one end'a clutch which engages theclutch end of the-music roll 20, and at the other end of the shaft there is provided a sprocket 22. Below each of the music rolls 20 there is provided a winding roll journaled in suitable bearings and having a flange 23 at each 1' end. On one of the journals 23 of the windear 24 which meshes whereon are spaced pins 27 which have mounted between them a ring 29 which is engaged by the yoke end of a shipperlever 28.

Two separate operating engines are provided indicated at 30, and each of these engines has the usual crank shaft 31. whereon isfixed a sprocket 32 which is connected by operate while ifthe shipper lever be moved in the opposite direction the pinion 25 will disengage from the gear 24 and the roll will rewind, and thus by proper manipulation of one or the other ofthe shipper levers 28 the rolls may be caused to play at will.

Leading to the chambers 17 and 18 is a tracker bar 3701? the usual construction. @n theback of the casing 16 there are provided brackets 38 whereon is mounted a valved board 39 having a series of holes extending vertically therethrough as at 40 and a series of holes of like character at 41, the series being in alternate, relation to each other and in order to economize in length the holes are arranged in diagonal lines as can readily be seen by reference to Fig. 3. Secured in each of the holes 40 and 41 is an upwardly extending tube 42. Beneath this board and resting directly on the brackets is similar board 43 having a single series of holes 44 arranged in diagonal lines but spaced at a distance equal to twice the distance between a hole 40 and the next adjacent hole 41 so that as the upper board is moved longitudinally fi the lower board one K or the other or" the series 40 or 41 is brought into registry with the series 44. Extending dow ward from each of the holes 44 is a shor' tube 45. In the board 39 there is provided a pairv of slots 46 wherethrough extend screws 47 provided with washers 48 so that the two boards 39 and 43'a'resecurely held together and the entry of air between the two prevented. From the upper tracker board 37 a series of tubes 49 extend to one of the series 40'or 41, being connected by means, or the short tubes 42 while from the lower tracker boarda similar series of tubes 0 are connected in like manner with the 'remalning series 40 or 41 as the case maybe. On the end of the casing there is provided a bracket 53. where-on is pivoted a lever 52 which is connected by means of a link 53 with the board 89; so that as this lever is moved in one direction or the other in like manner will the board 39 be moved to one side or the other and bring one of the series or 41 of holes into communication with the series of holes 44.

In order to provide means to brake the winding roll when the record is being re-. wound the casing is provided with brackets 54 whereto are pivoted levers 54 which are connected at one end to a plunger 55 carrying a brake shoe which is held against the flange of the winding roll, by'meansi of a spring 60. The otherend of each of the evers 54 lies beneath the movable board 61 and pneumatics 62. Leading from the pr umatics 62 are tubes 63 and 64, the tubes i n the order named from the upper pneumatics. The tube 63 is conepening in the board 39 tube 64 is connected to a similar pening In the board 43 are openings 7 68 which register respectively with atmosphere.

enses vacuum trunk 14. As this pneumatic is deflated the brake shoe 60 will be raised off of the flange 23, and the winding roll permitted to operate Without interference. It is to be noted that the lower board 43 is provided with suitable bleeder openings 66 properly positioned --with which the openings 65 and 66 are in registry when the upper board is moved to the respective end.

Leading from the engines 30 are pipes 65) and the pipes leadingfrom the lower and upper engines respectively. The pipes 69 and 70 lead to tempo control boxes 71 and 72. Each of theseboxes is provided with spacedports 73 and 74. Adjacent each of the openings 73 and 74 are spaced guides 7 5 and over the opening 73 extends a plate 76 having a slot 77 therein, said slot being rounded at one end and terminating in. an acute angle at the opposite end so that as the plate is moved over the port 73 the amount of opening may be varied at will and adjusted, thusregulating the tempo of the music by controlling the speed of the engines, this being accomplished by the greater or less degree of vacuum in the re spective pipe 69 or 7 O. This valve plate 76 has a stem 78 extending therefrom and the box 72 has its stem connected to a lever 7 9 which terminates in a thumb piece 80 extending upward adjacent the key slip 81 ot-the ing in the remaining guides and provided with an opening 88 corresponding to the port 74. These slide valves87 are also provided with stems 89which are connected to the moving members of pneumatic bellows 90, the latter in turn being connected by tubes 91 which lead to a chest 92 from whence lead tubes 93 which terminate in controlling valves 94 having push buttons 35 whereby the valve may be opened to the are tubes 96 which. communicate with main bellows, not shown. Connecting chest 92 with the tube 96 IS a short t Leading from the ports ing bellows and the valve with the round opening communicating with the main bellows rewinding can be accomplished at a higher rate of speed than the unwinding.

- In the chest 92 there are provided suitable pneumatics illustrated in Fig. 8 for controlling the deflation of the respective bellows 90. i i

There has thus been provided a simple and eificient device of the kind described,

and for the purpose specified.

It-is obvious that many minor changes maybe made in the form and construction thereof without departing from the material principles thereof and it is not wished to confine the invention to the exact, form herein shown and described but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the,

.a vacuum chest, tubes leading from said bellows to said chest, *3; tube leading from vacuum chest to said last mentioned conductor, controlling levers for said tubes leading from said bellows, an equalizing bellows, pipes leading from said control boxes and communicating with said equalizing bellows, and manually controlled valves for opening and closing the passageway between said control boxes and said last mentioned pipes.

52. In a pla er piano, a plurality of motors, an equa number of control boxes, a pipe leading from each motor to its respective control box, an equalizing bellows,pipes' leading from said control boxes to said equalizing bellows, valves for opening and closing the entrance fromsaid control boxes to said last mentioned pipes, apipe leading from the main bellows of said player piano and communicating with said control boxes, valves for opening and closing the entrance from said control boxes to said last mentioned pipe, bellows, for operating said last mentioned valves, a vacuumchest, a pipe leading from said vacuum f chest to said last mentioned pipe, tubes leading from said last mentioned bellows to said vacuum chest, and manually controlled, meansfor opening and closing the entrance from said chest to said tubes. 1 In testimony whereoffI afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURT R. VAN VALKENBURG.

Witnesses: v

JOSEPH WEYNAOHT, MILLARD' E. CROWLEY.

I Qopies 9f this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

manually controlled 

